Introduction India’s top 10 cities must have a well-established network of vertiports that are well-integrated with airports and helipads and the broader road network. There should be a replicable model where dedicated maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities are in proximity to vertiports. Advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft must be cost-efficient in comparison to radio and app-based premium cab services. AAM can contribute to decongesting arterial roads in India’s cities, especially around buildings, clusters and fulfilment centres for logistics. Locations such as mall roofs, terraces and hospitals are especially suitable for integrated vertiports, and India needs a supportive advanced regulatory framework that supports AAM. This concept of operations (CONOPS) report outlines the potential for AAM to revolutionize India’s transport landscape. It explores the technology, infrastructure needs, economic considerations and social implications of integrating AAM into the national mobility ecosystem. The primary objective is to provide a comprehensive framework for a phased implementation strategy, ensuring safe, efficient and inclusive AAM adoption across India. The CONOPS also attempts to equalize access to this technology by ensuring that rural populations also stand to benefit from implementation. Overview of AAM The word “aircraft” is typically associated with high-speed aeroplanes that transport people and cargo across cities and continents via airports. In simple terms, it is a machine that can derive support in the atmosphere through reactions in the air other than those on the Earth’s surface.4 Configurations include: –Aeroplanes (fixed-wing): Typical planes, such as commercial jets, seen in the sky every day. They have wings that don’t move (fixed) and fly forward to create lift. –Helicopters (rotary-wing): Aircraft with spinning blades (rotors) on top. The rotating blades lift the helicopter straight up, allowing it to hover, take off and land vertically. –Multirotors: Drones with multiple spinning rotors (usually four or more). The rotors lift the drone into the air, allowing it to hover and move in any direction. –Airships/hot air balloons (lighter-than-air aircraft): Airships and hot air balloons float because they are filled with lighter-than-air gases like helium. Airships can be steered, while hot air balloons drift with the wind. As technology advances, however, the world is witnessing new forms of aerial vehicles that can access hard-to-reach areas – that traditional aeroplanes cannot – more sustainably. These vehicles range from small drones delivering sensors or medical supplies to remote areas to future air taxis designed to carry passengers for the last mile. Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft are fixed-wing aircraft that can take off and land on runways much shorter than those needed by conventional aircraft. They offer on- demand passenger and cargo transport within urban and regional areas. Through such vehicles, AAM holds the potential to decongest roads, improve accessibility and create new economic opportunities.The modernization of India’s multimodal transport system will be driven by advanced air mobility. India is at the threshold of a transformative shift in mobility, and AAM represents a pivotal step toward unlocking the potential of our skies. With the development of this concept of operations, we are laying the foundation for a future where air transport is not just faster and more efficient, but also accessible, sustainable and inclusive for all Indians. This collaboration with the World Economic Forum underscores our commitment to embracing innovation while ensuring safe and secure integration into our national airspace. The Hon. Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Minister of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation of India Skyways to the Future: Operational Concepts for Advanced Air Mobility in India 6

Skyways to the Future 2024